To test what is happening with the natural chemicals deep inside the skin we would also like to take a sample of skin. We will bring you back to our department at a later date for this test.
For this test, we will use a very small needle to inject local anaesthetic into the upper part of your skin to make it completely numb. When the skin is numb you should feel no pain at all.
We will then clean your skin and use a device to cut out a circle/cylinder of skin – 2-3 mm wide and 2-3 mm deep. We will close the wound with ‘steri-strips’. Stitches will not be required.
You will be left with a small permanent mark (scar) about 3 mm long.
The whole procedure should take around 10 minutes